It doesn't happen often, but today it has. US troops, serving alongside British forces in combat, have looked enviously at the kit furnished to our boys and girls and demanded that the Pentagon get off its ass and buy them similar stuff.
More normally, things would be the other way around.
The kit in question is the armoured …

Glad to hear it...

Joke name

The name is a joke, but it also looks quite silly. If you do a GIS for "combat codpiece", you'll see a few people wearing it (we were asked if anyone wanted to model it for Soldier Magazine ... no takers, funnily enough).

I also haven't yet heard of anyone padding it out, but I'm sure someone will.

Imposter

I believe that...

..Ancient Japanese Samurai wore silk undergarments as it was known that it made it much easier to remove arrows if you happened to get shot. The arrow head would get wrapped in the silk as you got hit and would therefore cause much less damage when pulled out. Also, because the silk was so strong compared to the other materials of the time, arrow heads tended not to go so deep.

Be a Great Actor

2nd Announcer: 'All Quiet on the Western Front', adapted for radio by Jeff Astle and Jean Genet. (more music) Episode 8: Charles Returns to Barclay Manor

Belinda: Oh Charles! Charles! Charles!

You: Buzzzz

Belinda: Oh Charles!

You: Buzzz

Belinda: I never thought I'd see you again.

You: Buzzzzz

Belinda: Oh that's wonderful news, but why? Are you...

You: Buzz

Belinda: Where?

You: Buzzzzz

Belinda: Oh no!

You: Buzz

Belinda: Yes Charles?

You: Buzzzzz

Belinda: I love you too.

You: Buzz

Belinda: But what?

You: Buzzzzz

Belinda: Shot off?

You: Buzzz

Belinda: Completely?

You: Buzzz

Belinda: Oh Charles!

You: Buzzz

Belinda: Charles!

You: Buzzz

Belinda: Charles!

You: Buzzz

(Fanfare Music)

1st Announcer: Will Charles ever play football again? Does Ascrith really know what is happening to the chaps in France? And is Belinda such a good (buzzer) as everyone says? Don’t miss next weeks exciting episode.

Congrats!

Ballistic armor in a good location

I'm glad to see that they're starting to make protection for the one area that's largely been unarmored until now. Which is a shame, too -- being hit in the thigh can be just as deadly as in the chest, particularly if it strikes you in the femoral artery.

Sure, it's not true ballistic armor, but it's a step in the right direction. While I doubt anyone's going to start sticking rifle plates to their legs, why not take the current tech a step further? Kevlar or aramid underweave and stop/mitigate the two biggest threats to that area: shrapnel and ricochets?

No reason...

...that trauma plates can't be added. Maybe not easily to the inside of the thigh, but the rest, even the hams and the outside of the hip, can easily enough be equipped. Elsewhere, will just need to double up on the thickness of the cloth.

Oooh, wait - Why not a 'combat kilt', to go with the rest..? The troops can all look like Marvin the Martian!

A bit rough on the scots

Ballistic Silk

So just to be clear, ballistic silk is literally made from silk (and silver), right? Meaning not Kevlar "silk" or genetically engineered spider-goat silk, just regular mulberry moth cocoon silk, right? So it would be correct and not all all misleading to say our soldiers will be wearing silk underwear, is that correct? I just wanted to be totally clear on this point.

Excuse me for asking

Bullets yes ...

Even the combat codpiece can't do much against a direct impact from gunfire. The pants and codpiece, however, are mostly to stop IED blast/fragments from smashing up into the groin and destroying genitals or causing catastrophic bleeds inside the pelvis or at the top of the thighs (too high for a tourniquet).